In recent years, there have been a growing number of cases where an electronic device, such as a digital camera or a printer, is equipped with a wireless LAN station function, connected to a wireless LAN, and used as a communication device. For example, Patent Literature (PTL) 1 discloses a method in which a digital camera is equipped with a wireless LAN function to facilitate image sharing.
The Wi-Fi Alliance established a standard called Wi-Fi Direct (registered trademark). The Wi-Fi Direct defines a protocol that determines whether each electronic device operates as a wireless LAN access point or a wireless LAN station. Executing the protocol can automatically determine which electronic device serves as a wireless LAN access point and which electronic device serves as a wireless LAN station, and this improves user convenience.
A function (service discovery function) that searches for the content of a service provided in an application layer by another device is defined as an optional function of the Wi-Fi Direct. The service discovery function improves user convenience, because it enables the user to obtain information about a service provided by an electronic device, which is a connection partner, before execution of connection processing.